Valley of the Lost Cities Found Ecuadorian Amazon. When you hear about discoveries like this, you might imagine archaeologists with chisels and brushes or explorers in pith helmets wandering through ruins deep in the woods. Instead, light detection and ranging (lidar) revealed a network of buried roads and embankments, without having to brave the dangers of the forest.
The point of exploration science is to uncover what was previously hidden. Whether it’s to the edge of space with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to the ocean floor with underwater autonomous vehicles (UAVs), or through the canopies of the densest forests with Lidar, we’re taking a journey that will redefine our understanding of the cosmos. I’m making a discovery. world.
The growing ability to use technology to discover things without actually digging them may lead us to wonder whether we are nearing the end of the era of archaeological discovery. Since the 18th century, scientific exploration of ancient cities and lost temples has fed our imaginations and filled our museums, but the past is a finite resource.
Remote sensors and drones are now surveying the most remote locations on Earth. So, after 300 years of research and recent advances in technology, is there very little left to be discovered? As an archaeologist with 30 years of experience working on archaeological sites, I can say that’s not the case. .
During my first excavation in San Lorenzo, Mexico in 1994, the last great Olmec head was discovered. When its face peeked out from under the earth after being buried for 3,000 years, I wondered if I would ever see such an amazing discovery again. Fortunately, I have.
After this research, I led the following projects. Tierra Caliente, Western Mexico, Tikal in Guatemala and for the past 15 years. Egypt. Technological change is a great tool to help us find and model history, but it never dries up.
Why excavation is the key to understanding
The greatest advancement in archaeological research has been drone, Lidar and UAV penetrating the canopy. They opened up exploration areas that were previously too remote, too deep, or too dangerous. But seeing images of something underground or at the bottom of the ocean is only the most preliminary step in discovery.
You can’t truly understand the image until you look at the artifacts associated with ancient structures and study the history of the profession. The more we can discover with modern technology means we’re much further behind than we think in terms of actually discovering the buried secrets of the past.
My current project is Tell Timai in the Egyptian Delta It consists of research on the ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian city of Tomi. The city was occupied from at least the 6th century BC to the 9th century AD.
Buried within the ruins are fossilized records of the lives, economics, and religion of hundreds of thousands of people. These ancient peoples witnessed the rise of empires, revolutions, religious changes, and wars. Every aspect of their lives provides opportunities for investigation.
Jay Silverstein, Provided by the author (not reusable)
Now let’s consider what we can see from remotely captured images and what we can learn from archaeological surveys. At Toomis, Buildings from the Herrentism era What we discovered was that it was first discovered with a magnetometer while it was still buried underground. But to understand more, it was necessary to excavate the house.
Excavations uncovered coins, traces of combustion, catapult stones, and pottery. These discoveries indicate that this house underwent at least three reconstructions and destructions in the early 2nd century BC. This corresponds to the rebellion that destroyed the city discussed in the Rosetta Stone.
More and more sites where you can study
Last year we discovered: lost templeThis included a monumental dedication to the pharaohs of the 29th Dynasty. Pathumtes. When searching satellite images around the temple, they found a circular feature that suggests the temple may be a sacred site. Nilometer (A device used in measuring flood levels and in sacred rituals involving the waters of the Nile).
When we excavated this feature, we discovered that it was actually a large Roman well built in the temple tiers more than 500 years after the temple was destroyed. So even if we find a location, it will take decades to investigate and understand the significance of what remote sensing can detect.
![A photo of what was thought to be a nilometer, but upon excavation it turned out to be actually a well.](https://images.theconversation.com/files/569314/original/file-20240115-17-zx0rq2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip)
Jay Silverstein, Provided by the author (not reusable)
The challenge for this field is not a lack of research subjects, but rather a lack of resources to study and protect the wealth of ancient sites that are poorly understood. The newly revealed locations are just the tip of the iceberg. The increased ability to find archaeological sites highlights the need to preserve these sites and protect them from development and looting.
Seeing architectural geometry in remotely sensed images is only a superficial starting point. Deep knowledge is gained through the study of cultures and vertical excavations that unearth the history of lost civilizations.
Archeology is not just about knowing that ruins exist, but also why those ruins exist and what they can tell us about the evolution of modern civilization.
Sadly, the more I work in archaeology, the more I realize that one lifetime is not enough. There is little time to scratch the surface of the mysteries waiting to be solved.
![](https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip)
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